Sine Fine Somnum
by Shibalyfe
Summary: Snape offers Draco another option instead od killing Dumbledore. This was written for The Houses Competition, Y5R2.


House/team: Gryffindor

Class subject: Care of Magical Creatures

Story category: Standard

Prompt: [Action] casting a sleeping curse

Beta: Tiggs and Seth

Word Count: 1687

A/N: AU. A different option Draco could have taken with a slightly different timeline. Instead of given his task to kill Dumbledore in summer, I have changed it to the winter. Sine fine somnum means endless sleep in Latin. This was written for The Houses Competition Y5R2

* * *

Sine Fine Somnum

Snape was pacing the headmaster's office angrily, wearing the floorboards thin like he had so many times before.

"Are you mad?" he snarled. "He will kill you if he doesn't think there is another choice."

Dumbledore answered him from behind the giant ornate desk. "Then give him another choice," he stated, as if it was that simple.

Snape huffed. "You like gambling with fate, don't you, old man?"

Dumbledore laughed. "I happen to have extraordinarily good luck!"

"Someday your luck will wear out, Albus."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "A curse could be a blessing in disguise."

Snape huffed, turned sharply on his heels, and stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

Draco stared down at the image that marred his skin, the black ink harsh against his pale arm. He clenched his fist and quickly tugged his sleeve down over the depiction. He turned his attention instead to the frost covered ground from his window.

The grounds of the manor looked peaceful. The trees were decorated in icicles, and the snow that covered the ground was pure and untouched. The gentle falling snowflakes completed the fairytale facade.

The sound of a scream shattered Draco's refuge. Resigned, he turned away from the window.

This wasn't how he pictured his winter holiday. He hadn't expected to come home to find The Dark Lord living in his house. He hadn't expected to receive his first task, especially one so momentous, but here he was, a prisoner in his own home and contemplating the best way to kill someone.

The small groan of a floorboard outside his door caught his attention, and he turned sharply towards the sound, bracing himself for who might enter. The doorknob turned, and he was relieved when Professor Snape walked into his room.

"Draco," he said in greeting. He looked him up and down and pursed his lips. "You do not seem to be fairing very well."

Draco hissed at him, "How should I be fairing?"

Snape ignored his question. "How do you feel about the task The Dark Lord has honored you with?"

Draco's face paled, and his stomach rolled. He clenched his teeth. "It is an honor to do The Dark Lord's bidding."

"Really?" Snape drawled, "You are not a killer, Draco, despite what your father is trying to turn you into; the thought makes you sick."

Draco turned, looking back towards the window, but his voice was laced with venom. "I will do whatever The Dark Lord asks of me." He forced the words out. "I can kill him."

Snape eyed him wearily. "What if I told you there might be another way?"

Draco's eyebrows knitted together, and his eyes widened. He turned back towards his professor and studied him, wondering if he could be trusted; despite himself, hope bloomed in his chest. He refused to say anything, in case this was a test set by The Dark Lord.

Snape huddled towards Draco and lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper. "What if there was a way to stop his heart without killing him? A way to complete your task in The Dark Lord's eyes but not take his life?"

Draco's heart started pounding in his ears. It drowned out all other thoughts; all he could focus on was that there might be another way.

* * *

"Again, Draco!" Snape barked at him. "Not only do you have to master this enchantment, but you must do so silently. If you can't get this right while being allowed to say the words aloud then how will you ever master it wordlessly?"

Sweat broke out on Draco's forehead, and his wand felt heavy in his hands as he flicked it again, chanting the spell. Dark blue sparks flew from the tip of his wand and raced towards the pixie in the cage. They hit it in the chest; the pixie instantly froze and fell midair to the bottom of the cage with a metallic clang.

Draco turned towards Snape, his eyes flashing with triumph. Snape shook his head, his eyes pinched.

He drew out his worn wand and repeated the wand movements. "It's a large counter-clockwise arch and then a flick. You don't do the arch wide enough, and it therefore weakens your spell work."

Snape nodded towards the cage where the Pixie was once again beating its wings and buzzing around the cage, the spell already having worn off.

"The end of the year draws closer." He said and left the classroom, his robes billowing behind him, the black trail like an omen.

Draco swore and kicked at the desk. He whipped his wand out and gripped it, pointing it at the creature again. He screamed the words, "_sine fine somnum_," firing the spell at the poor creature.

The pixie would fall to the bottom of the cage each time, only to wake up a few moments later. The flapping of its wings taunting Draco to do better. He grabbed a book off the shelf and threw it across the room before sulking from the classroom.

If he couldn't master this spell, then he was going to have to kill him, or die himself.

* * *

Draco slowly closed the door to his common room and strode quietly down the hall. He nudged open the abandoned classroom he'd been in earlier that day with Snape and stared at the pixie who'd been left in the cage. He gripped his wand tightly and took a deep breath before pointing it at the creature. His wand movements were slow and deliberate, his voice loud and clear. The blue sparks shot out of his wand tip and stunned the creature; this time, the creature didn't stir for a few minutes. Draco felt that small ball of hope unfurl from his chest again.

* * *

Draco thumbed the calluses on his hands before running his fingers through his hair. He had been up every night for the past month practicing the spell repeatedly until he'd finally managed to cast an endless sleep curse on the pixie.

He picked up the cage and examined the creature. It wasn't breathing and had begun to pale in color; it was laying on the bottom of the metal cage in a lifeless heap. Draco shook the cage and the body just lolled around limply. Draco studied the creature closely, but he couldn't find any indication that the creature was alive. He smirked before setting down the cage and muttering the counter curse. The pixie instantly sparked back to life.

* * *

Draco silently crept down the hall, sliding from shadow to shadow, trying to avoid creaky floorboards and portraits that would alert anyone of his presence. He stayed as close to the cold stone walls as he could, his hand pressed against them roughly as he tried to move through the hallways with nothing but the moon shining through the windows to guide his way. He wasn't sure if his slow pace reflected his overcautiousness or his reluctance to complete his task, but he couldn't stall any longer. Tonight was the night.

He arrived at the entryway for the Room of Requirement much quicker than he would have hoped. The bricks in front of him shifted silently into a wooden door that he had gone through many times before. He reached out for the handle, feeling the cold iron beneath his fingers, before taking a deep breath and stepping inside.

He could hear the angry knocking and screaming on the wooden cabinet long before it came into view.

He eyed the cabinet and closed his eyes, the heavy weight of what he was about to do rested on his shoulders. Electric shocks of warning tingled down his spine as he raised his arm to the smooth handle of the cabinet and opened it.

Bellatrix barreled her way through the doors and shrieked with excitement.

"Good Job, Draco." She smirked, her eyes flicking across the room, feral and ready to hunt. She ran a hand along his cheek before calling back through the cupboard, "Let's go boys! We have a school to terrorize!" She let out a delighted shriek and ran towards the exit.

Draco followed slowly, bile rising in his throat as he watched the terror they were reigning down upon the school, his classmates, and his teachers. He had to turn away from each brutal spell that was cast and tried to block out the noise. His legs grew heavier with each step, and he had to force his feet to continue to move forward the closer they got to the Astronomy tower.

Draco ascended the steps of the tower as slowly as he dared, his body stiff, protesting what he was about to do. His heart was pounding from the adrenaline and fear.

Once he reached the landing, his eyes darted around the room. Dumbledore was standing by the window, his arms held out by his side, and Snape was pointing his wand at him.

"Now, Draco!" Bellatrix hissed. "This is your honor, your kill; The Dark Lord will be so pleased, and our family will be favored once more."

Draco held his wand out in front of him, his hand shaking. He had to fight off the tears as he stared into the clear blue eyes of Dumbledore. He took a deep breath and flourished his wand in the practiced motion, silently muttering the spell, _sine fine somnum_. The blue sparks flew from his wand tip and hit Dumbledore square in the chest, instantly stopping his heart. The force of the spell knocked him through the window and he began to freefall through the sky.

Bellatrix laughed maniacally, none the wiser, and ran from the room, singing of Dumbledore's death and leaving a trail of destruction in her wake. Snape met his gaze before slowly following Bellatrix from the room.

Draco ran to the window and looked out the opening, but Dumbledore's body was nowhere to be found. He gave a small smile and turned back to the room. He had kept up his part of the plan and Snape had kept his. They were both going to live.


End file.
